The Worlds Greatest Dad
by drcjsnider
Summary: Ron Weasley was the world’s greatest dad. He even had a t-shirt embroidered with that title given to him by Rose and Hugo to prove it.


Title: The World's Greatest Dad  
Author: drcjsnider  
Team: Summer  
Prompts: Rose, Slug Club  
Pairing/Genre: Gen  
Rating: PG  
Word Count: 1313  
Warnings: N/A  
A/N: Ron, Rose, and everything associated with them belongs to JK Rowlings. Thanks to sugarquill39 and gineraled for betaing. Written for the lj community – Rontober Fest.

Ron Weasley was the world's greatest dad. He even had a t-shirt embroidered with that title given to him by Rose and Hugo to prove it.

He had retained his 'greatest dad' designation through his children's teenage years by avoiding the most common pitfalls experienced by other fathers. For example, while his brother George attempted to live vicariously through his son's and daughter's performance on the Quidditch Pitch, Ron had made it clear to his offspring that the best thing about the sport was having fun. Winning didn't mean much, he often reminded them, if in the end you hadn't enjoyed the game. Likewise, while Percy and Bill nagged their children about OWL results and N.E.W.T.s, Ron rarely spoke to his kids about their performance at Hogwarts. Instead, he was interested in what they were learning and what magic they enjoyed experimenting with the most.

Perhaps most importantly, Rose and Hugo continued to regard their father as the best dad in the world because he didn't interfere in their social lives. While Harry snooped and poked into the backgrounds of Al's and Lily's dates, Ron let his children know that he trusted their judgment. "I'll be here if you ever want to talk," he told them. "But I won't interfere in your love lives unless you need advice."

Therefore, when Rose requested his presence in Hogsmeade the first weekend of November to discuss who she should ask to the Slug Club's annual Christmas party, Ron eagerly agreed to meet her. He felt proud that his relationship with his seventeen-year-old daughter was so close that she requested his advice on an issue most girls would have been embarrassed to mention to their fathers.

Ron had just settled down in a seat at the iThree Broomsticks/i when Rose appeared next to him. "Hey Pop!" she chirped, handing him a butterbeer and brushing her lips against his cheek.

"Rosie," Ron grinned, pushing out the chair next to him with his foot. "How's life?"

She grinned back at him, sat down, and pulled off her stocking cap. Ron's smile broadened as he watched her curly, red, hair crackling with static around her face. Although his daughter complained often and loudly at having inherited her mother's hair, Ron loved that similarity between them. He was less thrilled, however, when he noticed several of the young men in the pub leering at Rose as she shrugged off her coat and tossed her hair back over her shoulder.

"It's great. Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw the other day in Quidditch."

"Yeah? Did you have fun?"

She nodded and then took a sip of her drink. "It was a blast, although I was sore for two afterwards."

"Playing Keeper is definitely physically draining."

"True, but I wouldn't want to have any other position," she winked at him. "I still think Keeper is the most important player on the Pitch."

Ron laughed. "Could be."

The smile slipped from Rose's face as she glanced around the pub. She then leaned closer to Ron so they wouldn't be overheard. "So Pop, I could really use your advice about the Slug Club's Christmas party."

"I can't believe there still is a _Slug Club_ Slughorn retired over twenty years ago," he informed her with a shake of his head.

Rose shrugged. "Apparently Professor Bobbin was in the Slug Club when she was at Hogwarts; she started it up again after being hired to teach potions."

Ron nodded thinking back to how jealous he'd been in sixth year when Harry, Hermione, and Ginny had all been invited to join the club while he'd been excluded. "So do you enjoy being a member?"

"It's alright," Rose admitted. "It's kind of nice to socialize with professors and students from other houses on a regular basis. There are enough people involved that I can avoid the ones who are too full of themselves."

Ron nodded again. That was pretty much the way he felt about working for the Ministry.

"My problem is," she started then lowered her voice, "that we can invite a nonmember to the annual Christmas Party and the wizard I was thinking about asking has been acting like an immature git all year long."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want to invite someone who has been acting like a git?"

Rose blushed. "Well, he hasn't _always_ been a git. In fact, until recently he's been one of my best friends."

He felt his stomach clench, Merlin this sounded familiar. "Maybe you should describe to me his git-like behavior."

"Well," his daughter began, frowning as she thought. "He's been flirting with girls."

"Really?"

"Pretty much. They flirt with him and he doesn't discourage it."

"Should he?"

"Of course!" Rose exclaimed, getting a bit red in the face. "If he likes someone he shouldn't be leading on all these other girls."

"What makes you think he likes someone?" Ron asked her. "Has he asked anyone out? Is he dating anyone?"

Rose shook her head. "No, but he's said things in the past that made me think… that maybe he was interested…"

"Honey," Ron began, trying to think of the best way to save her the heartache and troubles he had experienced in his sixth year. "Sometimes you just have to lay your cards on the table. If you want to date this bloke then ask him to the party. If he likes you he'll say yes."

Rose bit her lip. "But what if it messes up our friendship?"

Reaching over, Ron gave her hand a squeeze. "It sounds like your friendship is already suffering."

Rose released a deep breath, but didn't look convinced. "I suppose. I was thinking that I could ask some other guy to the party and make my friend jealous. Maybe then he'd wise up and start paying more attention to me."

Ron shook his head. "That's not fair, sweetheart. It's not fair to your friend to play with his emotions and it certainly isn't fair to lead on this other guy. What if he thinks you are seriously interested in him?"

"I guess. I just wish it was easier."

"Sometimes it takes a bit of courage to go after what you," Ron informed his daughter. "I'm confident, however, that you can do it. There was a reason the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor."

"Yeah, because it is a family tradition," Rose replied glumly.

Ron leaned over and wrapped his arm around Rose's shoulder. "It will be alright, Rosie. Things usually work out the way they are supposed to."

"Thanks Pops," she replied, closing her eyes briefly to enjoy her father's embrace.

"I should probably be getting home now so your Mum doesn't nag me about having disappeared all day," Ron joked, rising from the table.

Rose giggled and followed him to the door. "Tell Mum I love her."

"Will do," he replied before hugging Rose again. As Ron opened the door to leave, he turned back to his daughter. "So what's the name of this lucky bloke you fancy? Your Mum is going to demand details."

Rose rolled her eyes, but stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "Scorpius Malfoy. But don't breathe a word to Uncle Harry or Aunt Ginny."

Ron froze a minute before nodding stiffly and stepping out into the street.

Rose watched as he Apparated away. Before she could return to her table and collect her belongs, however, a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

"Did you tell him about us?" a deep voice asked her quietly, before soft lips brushed against her earlobe.

"Yeah," Rose replied, turning around and linking her arms around the neck of her boyfriend. "He thinks we'll be great together."

"Your father sounds like a wonderful man," Scorpius Malfoy smiled, staring contentedly into the blue eyes of his favorite Weasley.

Rose nodded enthusiastically in response. "He's the world's greatest dad."

The End


End file.
